Eight killed in China mine blast

An explosion at a recently closed coal mine in China left at least eight people dead and 36 injured Thursday, officials said.

The blast occurred at about 5.30 a.m. Thursday at Fenghuangling coal mine in Pingdingshan city in Henan province, Xinhua reported citing government officials.

A two-storey building nearby collapsed and its windows were shattered, while the roof of a warehouse was blown off after the explosion occurred near the entrance of a mine shaft. The blast left a hole more than 10 metres deep, they said.

Rescuers pulled out the bodies of the last two victims from the rubble before wrapping up rescue efforts at midnight local time.

At least three of the dead were mine security guards, a spokesman with the rescue headquarters said. The others have not been identified yet.

While 15 of the injured were people living near the mine, the rest were maintenance and security staff.

The mine had its electricity switched off June 21 and was not operating when the explosion occurred, the spokesman said.

On June 21, another coal mine explosion in the same city claimed 49 lives.